Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Fulham

Gareth Bale's first half header gave Tottenham the victory against a spirited but goal-shy Fulham at White Hart Lane.

Bale's first half header was enough to give Spurs victory over struggling Fulham at White Hart Lane and ensure that they enter 2011 still on the coat tails of the Premier League's big guns.
Although the Premier League title seems an outside possibility, Spurs under Harry Redknapp are developing the kind of consistency that they have lacked for many years and on a day when they weren't at their best, they ground out a third successive victory over the festive period.
In Gareth Bale, too, they have a player capable of winning matches single handed and another goal from the Welshmen to seal the points today must surely see him heading many lists for the player of the year thus far.
Whilst some of Tottenham's other stars like Rafael Van Der Vaart and Luka Modric had one of their quieter afternoons, Bale scored for the second match in a row to see Spurs claim all three points.
It was a quiet opening to the game, with both sides looking suspiciously as though they may have enjoyed the New Year's celebrations of the previous evening a little too much, with neither keeper really being called into action and the tempo of the game not really reaching top gear.
The closest either side came in the opening half an hour were speculative long range efforts and as half time approached there seemed little danger either side were going to find an opening.
However, with three minutes remaining before the interval, Tottenham were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position. Van Der Vaart drove an effort at goal which looked to be going into the wall, before Bale reacted well to steer a header goalwards and beyond Mark Schwarzer off the underside of the bar.
It was a little harsh on Fulham, who despite looking unlikely to score had seen little threat on their own goal from a lacklustre Spurs side. However, just a minute later and it could so easily have been two. Bale broke down the left and fired at goal, bringing a decent save out of Schwarzer.
With Spurs surely brimming with confidence from their recent form and with a lead to build on, you'd have been forgiven for expecting the home side to come out and seal the points in the second half, but it was Fulham who did much of the pressing as the game wore on.
On the hour mark, Clint Dempsey and Damien Duff both had shots from distance which went wide and you could sense the visitors growing in confidence.
A minute later and Andrew Johnson's shot was parried by Heurelho Gomes and Michael Dawson nearly bundled the rebound into his own net under pressure from Dempsey.
That, however, was about the best the visitors could muster and Spurs could have sealed the points five minutes from time when Lennon raced forward only to fire over with substitute Peter Crouch well placed in the centre.